Table game

ABSTRACT

A table game for play by at least two facing players has two set-ups on a table top, each set-up including a base plate having a plurality of vertical bores arranged a distance apart about equal to the transverse dimension of a human forearm and disposed out of a straight line. Upstanding vertical rods are releasably held in the bores. Washers frictionally engage the rods in desired locations. Bars of various lengths are rested on the washers on selected sides of the rods by each player. Also, rodlike hangers are provided with washers and suspended from the bars. The players in turn reach through the adjacent set-up successively to position bars, rods and hangers on the remote set-up. Play continues until a player knocks down an excessive number of bars, hangers or rods in any assortment or his opponent has blocked all spaces in the adjacent set-up through which he can pass his forearm for further play.

United States Patent Hughes et a].

[ TABLE GAME [72] Inventors: David A. Hughes; Alan T. Hughes,

both of El Cerrito, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Dalan Company [22] Filed: Jan. 6, 1970 [21] Appl. No.:862

[52] US. Cl ..273/1 R, 46/27, 273/135 F [51] Int. Cl. ..A63i 9/00 [58]Field of Search ..273;1 R;135 Fl; 46/27, 28, 46/29 [56] References CitedUNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,765,580 10/1956 Herrschaft ..46/29 X 1,707,6914/ 1929 Sweet ..46/29 2,936,530 5/1960 Bowen ..46/29 X PrimaryExaminer-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Paul E. ShapiroAttorney-Lothrop & West l l l 1 51 Sept. 12, 1972 [5 7] ABSTRACT A tablegame for play by at least two facing players has two set-ups on a tabletop, each set-up including a base plate having a plurality of verticalbores arranged a distance apart about equal to the transverse dimensionof a human forearm and disposed out of a straight line. Upstandingvertical rods are releasably held in the bores. Washers frictionallyengage the rods in desired locations. Bars of various lengths are restedon the washers on selected sides of the rods by each player. Also,rod-like hangers are provided with washers and suspended from the bars.The players in turn reach through the adjacent set-up successively toposition bars, rods and hangers on the remote set-up. Play continuesuntil a player knocks down an excessive number of bars, hangers or rodsin any assortment or his opponent has blocked all spaces in the adjacentset-up through which he can pass his forearm for 1 further play.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEP 12 I972 SHEET 2 BF 2 El! E ubwi/vra/as a, Z 3 W M 47 r w- 4 Z Z w TABLE GAME The invention relatesto a game which can be partially played by an individual for his ownamusement but primarily is to be played on a table between two opposingplayers or teams of opposing players according to predetermined rules.An individual can use only part of the equipment, but two or moreopponents use duplicate set-ups starting in a rudimentary form andinvolving the addition of playing pieces as the game progresses. Each ofthe opposing sides erects a more and more restrictive screen in front ofits opposer by reaching through the adjacent screen, utilizing judgmentand manual dexterity in positioning the playing pieces many of which arequite easily dislodged. The game is completed when either an excessivenumber of positioned pieces are dislodged or access through the adjacentscreen isdenied to a player by close arrangement of the playing piecesby the opponent. a w

An object of the invention is to providea table game which will affordamusement and an engaging occupation for opposing players and willinvolve the use of some'me'ntal exercise as well as manualdexterity. r

Another object'of the invention is to provide a table game whichrequires the use of only very simple and relatively inexpensive partsyet which will engage the skills of the opposing players for aprotracted time period.

Another object of the invention is to provide a table game which can beplayed by at least two players and will accommodate two teams of severalplayers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table game that canreadily be played repeatedly without damage to the playing apparatus.

Another object of the invention isin general to provide asatisfactoryand improved table game.

Other objects of the invention together with the foregoing are attainedin the form of table game described in the accompanying description andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG..l is an isometric perspective view showing the two set-ups of thetable game in position on a table top and being played by a player.

FIG. 2 is a view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 1 to asubstantially enlarged scale; the portion being indicated by the brokenarrow.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and indicating by the broken arrow anenlarged portion of the structure of F IG. 1. g

FIG. 4 is a composite view of the various physical parts making up thegame apparatus.

The table game can be embodied in various different fashions but in oneway which has proved satisfactory is embodied as illustrated anddescribed herein. The game is designed for play by opposing playersdisposed in opposite sides of a standard table 6 having a planar top 7.Disposed for play on the table top are two set-ups 8 and 9 each of whichis exactly like the other in essence so that a description of oneapplies to the other. For convenience, the set-up 8 is referred to asthe opponents or remote set-up whereas the set-up 9 is referred to asthe adjacent or players set-up.

For use in playing the game there is provided in each set-up a baseplate 11. This is conveniently a relatively stable member of wood orplastic bounded by a straight side 12, a pair of ends 13 and 14substantially at right angles to the side 12 and a pair of far sides 16and 17 which although rectilinear are centrally converging. The resultis a five-sided, elongated base plate.

At certain locations in the base plate there is provided a plurality ofcircular cylindrical bores l8 19, 20, 21 and 22. The bores can be ofother cross-sectional shapes, such as square or elliptical. Whilevarious numbers of bores may be utilized, five bores have been found tobe advantageous. The bores are all substantially the same in diameterand are arranged with their bore axes parallel or vertical. They may allbe aligned but preferably are not all arranged in the same straightline. Rather, as particularly shown in FIG. 4, they are arranged so thatany three adjacent bores are out of alignment. The bores 18 and 22 arerelatively close to a player, the central bore 20 is relatively far froma player and the intermediate bores 19 and 21 are at intermediatedistances from the player.

Designed to fit any one of the bores, such as 18, is any one of aplurality of rods 26. The rods have a shape like the boresand canconveniently be made of wood or plastic. The rods have alengthcomparable to the length of the base plate although not necessarilyexactly the same. The rods are arranged to fit stably but releasablyinto the bores so that they can readily be positioned and dismounted butwhen engaged will remain upstanding in a fixed position. An appropriatenumber of rods can be furnished for each set-up, there being at leasttwo and the showing in FIG. 4 indicating the provision of at least fourrods for each set-up but this is merely illustrative as the number isvariable.

Designed frictionally to engage the rods are washers 27. Theseconveniently are made of somewhat flexible material such as anelastomer.They are annular in configuration to provide a central opening 28frictionally slideable along the rods 26, for example, without undueforce yet when left undisturbed having sufficient frictional engagementwith a rod to remain in position despite some loading. The diameter ofthe opening is about the same as that of a rod. The number of washerssupplied can vary and the sixteen shown in F IG. 4 are intended merelyto represent a variable number of identical washers.

Also supplied for each set-up is a plurality of bars 29. These bars canconveniently be made of wood or plastic, preferably have a square orrectangular transverse cross-section and are straight. The bars 29 havea length roughly equivalent to the length of the base plate andadditional short bars 31 are furnished. These are like the bars 29 butare only about one-half as long. The bars 29 and 21 in width areapproximately equal to the annular dimension of the washer 27 so that abar when disposed approximately horizontally has adequate support on thehorizontal upper surface of a washer or bears up beneath the horizontallower surface of a washer with adequate area for abutment. Hangers 32are also furnished. These are substantially identical with the rods 26but are distinguished in that they may be and usually are much shorterand are not engaged in the bores to serve as compression members but aresuspended and act in tension.

in utilizing the apparatus, the base plates are arranged as shown inFIG. 1 with the base plates substantially parallel to and in "alignmentwith each other and at a distance apart approximately equal to thelength of one of the plurality of short bars 31 or one of the pluralityof hangers 32. For a preliminary set-up two of the long rods 26 areprovided with a selected number of washers 27 arranged according to theplayers choice at various locations along the two rods. Thereafter, eachset-up is provided with a transverse bar 29 resting on the top washersof the end rods to provide a rectangular frame. The base plate 11 formsthe bottom, the two end rods 26 form the side and the top bar 29 formsthe top of the frame.

Thereafter, each player, in turn reaching through his adjacent framecarries a rod or a bar or a hanger and builds on the set-up or frameimmediately in front of his opponent. In doing so, he may utilize pieceswith washers already positioned on them and can hang or dispose thosepieces as he pleases in any of the bores and can also position or hangthe pieces from any of the previously placed members either in parallelor in angular relationship. The object of each player is to erect ascreen or barrier in front of his opponent in which finally, the spacesbetween the various rods, hangers and bars will be too small for theopponent to reach through in order to play on the players adjacentset-up or screen.

Rules are variously provided to take care of situations in which rods,hangers or bars are dropped or knocked down. Since some preliminaryplanning is permissible with respect to the pattern to be erected andwith respect to the position and number of washers utilized, and withrespect to the length and position of the rods, hangers and bars used,there is a certain amount of mental ingenuity involved and since it isnecessary for each player to reach through this adjacent set-up orscreen in order to build on the screen in front of his opponent, acertain amount of manual dexterity is likewise involved.

The annular washers 27 are convenient grippers and abutments but anymeans movable on the elongated members and serving to hold the adjacentpieces will also serve. For example, spring clips of comparabledimensions are effective although sometimes more ex pensive to supply.

In practice, the game has been found to be amusing and entertaining byplayers of various ages and of various skills. At the conclusion ofplay, the parts can readily be demounted, detached from each other andstowed compactly for future use.

What is claimed is:

1. A table game comprising at least one base plate having therein aplurality of bores arranged with their axes vertical, the axes of anysuccessive three of said bores being disposed in different planes, thetransverse distance between said bores being only slightly more than thetransverse dimension of the human forearm, a plurality of rods adaptedto be received by and held vertically in said bores, a plurality ofgripping washers adapted to be frictionally engaged with said rods atvarious positions along the length thereof and to present a horizontalupper surface when so engaged, and a plurality of bars each having aflat face adapted to rest upon and to be slidable horizontally on saidhorizontal upper surface of said gripping washers when said grippingwashers are engaged with said rods held in said bores.

1. A table game comprising at least one base plate having therein aplurality of bores arranged with their axes vertical, the axes of anysuccessive three of said bores being disposed in different planes, thetransverse distance between said bores being only slightly more than thetransverse dimension of the human forearm, a plurality of rods adaptedto be received by and held vertically in said bores, a plurality ofgripping washers adapted to be frictionally engaged with said rods atvarious positions along the length thereof and to present a horizontalupper surface when so engaged, and a plurality of bars each having aflat face adapted to rest upon and to be slidable horizontally on saidhorizontal upper surface of said gripping washers when said grippingwashers are engaged with said rods held in said bores.